A full circle, and yet undone...

Once the decision to relocate back to hometown had been taken and the necessary approvals obtained from the PTB (powers that be, aka, big boss/es), the planning, subsequent ticket booking, et al, was done. September 7, 2011 was chosen as the D-day, when yours truly would once again call this city her home. And so it was, on the morning of Sept 7, 2011, when the Prayag Raj Express steamed into the Allahabad Junction a circle was complete. And what a homecoming it was; as with most of the denizens of the city who reside on the Civil Lines side, I rarely use the city side of the station. But given that mom was with me, stairs were best avoided, so the city side was opted for. Allahabad has progressed as I said before; while taxis are non-existent, autos (Vikram's and some Bajaj's) abound, but nary one has a meter - oh please, we are people of our words and we go by set fares ;) meters are required for those who waver! (The standard fare from the station to my side of town varies between INR50 to INR75; can go up depending on how green you seem to be). There is one such auto-wallah who resides near home and is available on the mobile and will oblige you with a pick-up and drop. And, so it was, that on that day, his services were availed of.

The ride home was accomplished without much trouble, unless one counts a pot-holed road where a beautiful smoothly tarred stretch used to be, this new road courtesy of the sewage line being laid out in the city. Dust of course rose with each vehicle that passed either way, necessitating comprehensive use of hankies to protect noses and lungs, but it was a dust that would be my constant companion for months to come (little did I know it at that time).

The truck bearing household possessions, precious ones, had already arrived so, once home, hectic preparations ensued to accommodate stuff coming in. September is a hot and humid month in Allahabad, whence even a minute without the fan is dripping agony and it was in this that Lady Power decided to make her daily exit. Of course, Lord Water dutifully followed her out, for he is, if not anything else, dutiful.

The house and indeed home had been locked up for 2.5 months, dusty months, so a spring cleaning was effected and undertaken. Hats off to my mom! My return turned her world upside down, yet nary a complaint was heard from her.

By noon, all the unloading had been done, boxes, bags had more or less been deposited in their designated places, but unpacking, well that would take more time. The inner courtyard, or angaan was box-filled, an obstacle-course as it were, and the rains came pelting down. There was a concerted rush to get things under cover, safe from the rain: plastics sheets are very handy as are thick old bed covers.

September was a month of settling in, of getting reacquainted with this city, my once hometown and education center. It was hectic and stressful. having lived in a metro for over 16-yrs, I realized how unprepared I was for Allahabad's chaos. In all the time that I was in Mumbai, I have to admit I never felt the weight of my wallet, literally speaking, for most transactions are effected and can be completed with the use of plastic - debit or credit. Allahabad is an exception (as probably most small, inner towns and cities are), cash rules here! Very few establishments accept cards, notwithstanding the "Visa/MasterCard accepted here" stickers on their doors. To be fair to them, for most it is not a choice but a compulsion, brought about by the daily scheduled power cuts. But there are always exceptions to the rule and I found establishments that would accept card transactions even while Lady Power was absent. And so I have too have learned to carry around a wallet filled with cash, uncomfortable as it makes me...:(

Queues are meant to be broken, they are in name only, something I can personally attest to. And please do not expect privacy at ATMs. There will always be someone either peeping over your shoulder as you conduct your transaction or offering unsolicited, helpful hints to hurry you up on your way. Telling these off results in naught, for they look at you as if you have returned from another planet, and indeed for them you have. Appealing to the ATM guard in most cases is futile, people don't listen to the guards.

It is this that caused me to switch ATMs though my primary banker does have an office and ATMs in the city. I prefer not to have people looking over my shoulder or edging close to me when I conduct my ATM transactions. Oh and most of the ATMs are 1st generation or perhaps even pre-1st generation ones, black and white and ponderously slow - even domestic private banks. Informed sources tell me that two leading private sector banks are in the process of upgrading their ATMs now. As for ATMs belonging to the nationalized banks! Well, except for the ones belonging to a premier nationalized bank, most are, for some reason, private-bank unfriendly and even if they do work chances that the ATM might just gobble up your card (hungry as it is) are very high. Fortunately, the city's growth trajectory means that a couple of international banks have an office and indeed ATMs in the city and it is to these that I turn for my transactions. The guards know their jobs and ensure that you are the only person inside when transacting.

In fact, on Dhanteras, the ATMs of 3 private sector banks had 7, 10 and 15 people crowded around the machine, if you somehow did manage to get a turn, it would be a miracle if you walked out with all your cash intact. I did the rounds of at least 5 private sector ATMs before I turned to the aforementioned international player. And bliss it was to be able to have the machine to myself, with none peeping over my shoulder, no unsolicited advice and no one to hurry me up....

Oh and one evening, a recourse was sought to order in food, but more of that later...it deserves a separate post...:-)

Flowers, glorious flowers: a small peek into the Annual Flower Show, Allahabad

Flowers, glorious flowers, in all colors imaginable, with innumerable fragrances, shapes and sizes. This description, or rather a small rhyme that I read somewhere, author unknown, seems quite apt:

In the garden in the wild
Flower blossoms like a child
Its color brightens our way
Its fragrance graces our day

And truly, flowers seem to epitomize nature's variety and its beauty and they rarely ever fail to enthrall. And yes, the bright sprinkling of colors heralds spring. And, in many places round the world Spring is a time for celebration and also for that human endeavor called the "Flower Show". Though of course humans are not content with flowers as nature probably created them and do tinker with them coming up with variations that awe the eyes and mind.

Having returned to my hometown after 17 long years, I, too with other residents of the city looked forward to Spring and the Annual Flower show (AFS). The AFS is held towards the end of February, when the deep chill of winter is receding and days are warming up, in Company Bagh; its grounds are expansive enough to accommodate both the numerous flowers and teeming crowds that come to see them.

Of course, opportunities to play around with the DSLR are far and few, so the flower show was definitely not to be missed. Though I must admit I did cause quite some consternation at the AFS, a very tall woman totting a DSLR, capturing shots now and then. But I was oblivious to them, so I enjoyed myself thoroughly. These are some pictures that were taken at the AFS, there are many more than what I am about to upload now, but I have to admit, I am quite an ignoramus when it comes to identifying different flowers, so only those whose names I know are being shared for the now. I have asked my cousin (she is the family authority and of course, the resident green thumb) to help me identify/name others.

For the now...
Larkspur

Pansies

Petunias

Dahlia

Yes, I know I did say, I would upload only those that I could identify, but maybe, just maybe, a visitor to this blog can help me identify this one. All I know...it's a hybrid...

Mango Afficiandos

Mangoes bring to the fore a gamut of emotions: from the deep abiding passion of the one who must taste/savor the season's first mango to a bewildered shrug wondering what the fuss is all about to a dislike. It is not just humans who like the fruit though, God's other creatures also fancy it.

Waking up in the morning it is customary for me to spend some time gazing at the mango tree that presents itself outside my bedroom window. And, so it was that I espied a couple of parrots breaking their fast on the tree. This was an opportunity too good to be true, so a recourse to the camera was sought (here, I need to confess, that i am a beginner, just about fumbling my way with the lens), but they do say use every opportunity, so....

I could barely see the parrot camouflaged as it was by the mango leaves, but I tried and i think i can see the tail...

The other one flew before I could even make an attempt to focus on it, forget capture, so I set about my morning chores. About 20 min later, Razia, my lovely house-help called out to me "there are 4 poppats (parrots) on the tree, come see". Back I went and indeed there were four. Well, the camera came out again and attempts were made.
Duo at breakfast...

One having brekky, the other on guard as it were...

Contemplation: should I, shouldn't I:

Mine, all mine:

Did I hear someone come by?

Three birds of a feather, flocking together...

Face to face or is it beak to beak...

The Mango tree on which the parrots lavished so much attention...

These seem to be safe, or is it that they are still raw?

Cooking for One...Chore or Fun?

A question I get asked all the time: how on earth do you cook for just one person and why would you take the trouble to when you can just get lunch/dinner (dabba) catered in.
Well, my answer is and has been: I love cooking and cooking for just one actually allows me greater freedom to make whatever I want, experiment all I like, not have to stick to set meals and menus.
I have been cooking for one for the last 5 years now, there have been many experiments, most of them successful; some had to be revised and a few ended up in the rejects bin--even I did not have the guts to sample those. But, what I enjoy most about cooking for just me is the varieties that I can play around with, cuisines that permit exploration and when something is successful the reactions of friends when dishes are reproduced.
Fortunately for me, most of the stuff that i rustle up is appreciated by friends and co-workers alike, which of course, is just the right encouragement needed to experiment some more.
With everyone getting health conscious these days, eating right and healthy has become quite the buzz-word everywhere. Like anybody else I love my salad greens but sometimes I like to spice up things are bit, make them more interesting with dips and the like.
One of my absolute eternal favorite dips is made with low-fat curd (it is a staple for me and ever-present in my fridge--keeps for over a week), so here is how it is made
Ingredients:
Low-fat curd: 400 gm
Garlic cloves: 3-4
Green Chillies: 1 medium sized (if desired add 1/2 tsp chilli flakes)
Oregano: 1/2 tsp (dried)
Balsamic Vinegar: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Put the curds into a strainer to drain all the water out; once all water is drained, spoon about 2tbsp of the waterless curds into the mixer's chutney jar, add peeled and chopped garlic, green chillies, oregano and vinegar, blend well, until all garlic and chillies are not to be seen.
In a separate bowl, gently whisk the remainder of the waterless curds, add blended part to it, add salt to taste, whisk in salt and blended portion. Scoop into a bottle or bowl. Refrigerated, the dip can last for about a week or it might not depending on the number of people dipping into it :-)
Use with salad greens, kebabs, on toasted breads, cream crackers, anything you would like to combine it with.
Ah, yes, one absolute essential ingredient: lots and lots of love for the food that you are creating.